I saw a cousin from Manchester recently and asked them when was the last time they rode a bike. There was a pause and then he asked if an exercise bike counted? If so he’d been on one a few days ago. Not the answer I was looking for. Manchester doesn’t have a bike hire scheme, but even in London only a small part of the population makes use of the Boris bikes.

I often pass by a bike stand and notice those about to use them are tourists. Having talked to non-cycling friends I’ve heard various lame excuses. Some honestly admitted laziness and others safety concerns. The latter reason has gained a higher profile thanks to a recent Times newspaper campaign. It focused on the deaths of cyclists in London caused by heavy traffic, especially lorries. Unlike in cities like Amsterdam, which is very bike friendly, the cycle lanes in the British capital are not very well laid out. The one excuse that I remember most was from a friend who admitted that after failing his cycling proficiency test back in junior school he’d never had the urge to cycle again.

I’ve great memories of my proficiency test, as I passed with flying colours, my friend on the other hand is still recovering from his experience. It was back in the mid-1980s and everyone in his class had to participate in the test. His memories were a bit hazy but he described the main event that ended his interest in cycling. All the other kids had BMXs or bikes with straight handlebars, he on the other hand had a Raleigh bicycle that his cousin had lent him for a week. The bike wouldn’t have looked out of place on the Tour de France with its curved handlebars, and it was this (in addition to a chain that continually snagged) that led to his failure.

Due to other school work and household chores my cousin hadn’t had much time to practice and when he did he didn’t gain any confidence. He found it hard riding the bike in a crouched position and wasn’t helped by the front half of the bike. It was clear that his cousin hadn’t oiled it for some time and it was rather stiff. For whatever reason my friend had been unable to get some oil before the test, so that when he was confronted by a line of cones to weave around he hesitated. After his teacher started yelling at him he started pedaling himself forward. 20 seconds later he and his bike were in a heap, the majority of the cones had been knocked over, his classmates were roaring with laughter and his teacher was heading towards him with a bright red face. Not a happy time.

The test at that time was run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and served as the basic standard required for cycling on British roads. This has since been replaced by the National Standards for Cycle Training, which is called ‘Bikeability’ in England. For those children about to start the test I’d encourage parents to do their best to help prepare them. Perhaps you could go with your bikes to a nearby park or relatively traffic-free piece of tarmac. We keep them pedaling.

ShareThis

The person sitting in the automobile is making use of an artificial mechanism to travel at a high speed. On the other hand, the person who is riding a cycle has the ability to travel at high speeds without any external assistance. This is not a small thing. Talk about this point with any cyclist and you will see a lot of pride and arrogance in his or her tone. So, what is the important lesson here? Cycling is not about traveling at a high speed or beating the automobile. Cycling is about traveling against your own inner demons.

Do you have the ability to continue despite the fact that your body is paining? Do you have the ability to put your head down and move your legs so that you beat your competitors? It is all about mental strength. The mental strength that you gain by being a good cyclist will be very useful in your profession. It does not matter whether you work in a firm full of clinical negligence lawyers or perform duties of a factory supervisor on the shop floor. Having mental strength is always going to be a useful thing.

Cycling just happens to be one of the many ways to develop this skill. Of course, you will be burning a lot of calories and will be enjoying a great view of nature as you go along. If these features of cycling appeals to you, then you should proceed ahead and give this a serious try.

Similar Posts:
Cardio Training Tips for Downhill Skiing : Many skiers regard…
Racism in football- the lid is off : There was a time when the…
Some Good Foods For Runners  : One of the good things about…
The Big Responsibility of EVERY Snowboarder. :  Being into…

ShareThis

Yet another perk of cycling is socializing. Nowadays cycling to work or school, to the shops or to the park, or for the purpose of family outings, offers opportunities for similarly minded people to get together, exchange news and opinions, share experiences, have fun time together. Communication among bikers is not accompanied by exhaust gases or heavy traffic noise, so it is totally healthy. Well, smokers who are keen bikers cannot help smoking a couple of cigarettes, but that is their own choice of harming the eco friendly and healthy activity of cycling, isn’t it?

In a number of cities, towns and even villages across the globe there are cycling groups which organize regular weekend rides which can last more than one day, to enable bikers to have quality time together with fellow bikers and at the same time get into the country, experience the thrills and delights of cycling not only along asphalt roads, but also the charming roughness of dirt roads and paths winding through forests and hugging coasts, for additionally thrilling experiences and zillions of opportunities for capturing picturesque views in photos. Join in!

Without doubt, cycling is much more than a mere method of transport, it truly helps to create unique social networks.

Similar Posts:
Cardio Training Tips for Downhill Skiing : Many skiers regard…
The cup upset : There is nothing greater in football than the…
Some Good Foods For Runners  : One of the good things about…
The Big Responsibility of EVERY Snowboarder. :  Being into…

ShareThis

I and my elder brother have always been friends. He is just 2 years elder to me and since the time I remember we have always been as a unit and always enjoyed each other’s company. I still remember once when he wanted to go out cycling with his friends after school, I hid his sports shoes in one of the lockers there. He was so scared, as he thought he lost his shoes and was also mad that he could not go cycling with his friends. When it was evening and was time for us to go for cycling, I brought it back to him and told him that I found it in the school. I have a feeling that he knew the whole story when he saw the shoes with me, but we never talked about it.

This joy of cycling with my bother has not only kept our brotherly love alive, but has also kept us healthier. There are many benefits of cycling. In fact it is one of the best aerobic exercises and can greatly benefit the cardiovascular health. The number of heart patients in the world today is a lot more than it was 10 years back. This is because of the fatty food we have, which is complemented by our lifestyle, which excludes walking and includes driving. Even when at work, most of us would have a job that just requires us to move our eyes and fingers, but the rest of the body remains stationed in the chair.

In order to keep the heart in shape you need to keep your heart rate at an elevated level for at least 20 minutes in a day. While this can be achieved by running or jogging, it can be more easily achieved by medium paced cycling. So if you are suffering from high or low blood pressure, diabetes or obesity, start cycling for at least 30 minutes a day and you will see a significant difference in a month’s time.

Similar Posts:
An Angel pushed me down : I always hated skiing, but somehow I…
The cup upset : There is nothing greater in football than the…
Some Good Foods For Runners  : One of the good things about…
Global warming and snowboarding : It seems like one of the…

ShareThis

Once the cycling bug bites you, you will find this question to be a perfectly reasonable one and would not hesitate spending a few hundred dollars going in for a new cycle on an impulsive purchase decision. Of course, you will have to shell out a lot more if you go in for a brand new option. Things would have been manageable had it been about the cycle alone. What about the shoes? What about the clothes? What about the safety accessories? What about the extra time you spend flaunting all these new purchases amongst other individuals who enjoy cycling?

Soon, you will discover that you have strained your budget beyond the limit and have no other option but to sell some of the stuff you have purchased to balance the budget again. Every cycling enthusiast reaches this stage before coming back to earth and striking the right balance. It is like the individual who purchases a generator and goes in for really fancy exhaust control systems and a diesel fuel storage tank. After the initial euphoria, the person will probably sell the exhaust systems and retain the diesel fuel storage tank to balance the budget. The same is the case with cycling as well.

Similar Posts:
Live your fears on the slope : Have you ever witnessed one of…
The cup upset : There is nothing greater in football than the…
Some Good Foods For Runners  : One of the good things about…
Budget boarding : I soon learned that snowboarding can be a…

ShareThis

Last weekend I met an old friend of mine who lives very close to my house and is a web designer for an online digital printing website. He was on his way to work and surprisingly he was cycling to work. I clearly remember the last time I saw him and then he was in his very attractive Porsche. Looking at me staring at him, he probably understood what I was thinking. He started telling me the benefits of cycling, something that I already knew about. In fact I go for cycling every day for a minimum of 45 minutes.

Many of us want to be fit, however want it the easy way. Believe it or not, cycling is one of the easy ways to stay healthy. Cycling can help us lose weight. It can keep our body in shape. It strengthens our lower body and enhances our stamina. The healthiest way to stay fit is regular bicycling.

Workout is indispensable; failing to do so would put you in risk of diabetes, stroke and heart disease. Overweight is undoubtedly a result of no exercise. If you go cycling everyday it will help you burn your everyday extra calorie intake and may be a bit more. It births in you a healthy lifestyle which in turn keeps your heart and other parts of the body healthy. Cycling can boost your immune system as well. Cycling for 30-45 minutes a day can keep you away from diseases. 30 minutes of cycling can burn up nearly 250 calories. Bicycling is a good fortifier for your back and it strengthens your legs and makes the buttocks firm.

Having a good bicycle is also very important; it should match your size and must be intact. A slight fault in your bicycle can ruin the joy of biking.

Similar Posts:
Skiing and Accidents : Skiing is a major part of life. Even…
Copa America – What Happened To Brazil And Argentina? : Football…
Some Good Foods For Runners  : One of the good things about…
The Many Factors to Consider With Snowboarding : Right now…

ShareThis

It is important to listen to your body when you are exercising to lose weight quickly. The body will always try to discourage you from exercising or undertakings strenuous activity. However, this phase will last for short time before the body adjusts to the new work schedule. Once that happens, your body will react favorably and you will lose a lot of weight provided you keep up the good work.

Once you have reached this stage, you should stop ignoring your body and start listening to the signs that it indicates. There may be days when you would have absolutely no motivation to work hard on losing weight. There have been many instances where trying to cycle more only caused me to lose interest faster. I knew that I ought to be working hard and ought to be using my willpower to subdue my body.

However, I discovered that such behavior indicated that the body was tired and required a bit of rest. I decided to skip cycling for that day and headed back home. Of course, I had to watch boring news about some celebrity filing a neck injury claim against an airline company. However, I rafted out and gave rest to my body. When I started exercising again, I realized that I was actually enthusiastic to work out harder.

There are times when your body deserves a break because of fatigue caused by excessive hard work. Listen to your body to avoid injuries that may stop your schedule and cause you to lose all the benefits of the good work you have done till date.

Similar Posts:
Yesterday’s Olympic, today’s Universal Championship : The time…
Skiing Equipment – Safety Is Top Priority : What is the point…
Skiing Tips for the Rookies for an Enjoyable Experience on the Slopes : If…
Run for health & fitness : As a runner, I have worn a lot of…

ShareThis

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, never forget assets like your feet, your arms, your hands and your head!   Taking an extended cycling trip requires forward planning.  If you don’t ensure you have the correct gear to support your assets you’ll find your hands, feet, arms and…ahem…rear end take one hell of a punishment before the first day’s riding is over.  Let’s start with the feet.

Birkenstock shoes have become my new best friends.  Recommended to me by a fellow cycling enthusiast, the sandals I bought last summer have lasted well and been through situations that lesser shoes aren’t able to handle.  You can find a great selection online at Zalando.  They are highly reputable and I’ve always received great service from them.  So far I’ve ridden through heavy rain, sleet and mud in my sandals and not once has there been a dropped stitch or cracked sole.  As all cyclists know it’s highly important to have good grip on the pedals and my sandals haven’t slipped once.

Moving onto your arms and bottom there are a couple of options available.  For the arms I recommend getting hold of a pair of elbow guards.  These aren’t so much to protect you if you fall off your bike…although they’ll certainly help!  No, elbow guards come in handy when you’re riding through rough terrain and deep undergrowth.  Things like nettles, loose branches and bushed along trail sides can all rip your elbows to shreds over a day.  Elbow guards will protect you from that issue straight away.

To prevent saddle soreness, a good pair of cycle shorts/leggings is the only way to go.  Most come with padded bottom’s to prevent your rear end from aching and cushion it from rough terrain.  Men’s shorts usually come with an extra layer of padding around the crotch which can be extremely helpful.

If you’re planning on riding this summer, then take these points on board.  They will help you enjoy your trips a lot more and stop you from patching yourself up when you could be enjoying the scenery.

ShareThis

There are many different styles and brands that you can get to assist, but the ones I have found help the most are brooks running shoes. A well recognised brand that has been going for over a hundred years, they can give a cyclist all the comfort he/she needs when out on a bike. My shoes give me great grip on the pedals whilst providing the flexibility I need when I need to move my foot position quickly. Technically the shoes I use for cycling are meant for running, but I haven’t really found that to be problem when out and about. You could wear flippers on your bike if you found they helped you cycle.

My point is, find the shoes that are right for you. Avoid clunky mountain boots or sneakers that cause you to slip all over the pedals, but if you find a pair of wellies or smart shoes helps you cycle with more confidence and control then use them! For me the best shoes just happened to be running shoes.

Similar Posts:
Yesterday’s Olympic, today’s Universal Championship : The time…
Prepare yourself against injuries : While skiing and…
Some Skiing Pointers Everyone Should Know : There are several…
Run for health & fitness : As a runner, I have worn a lot of…

ShareThis

One thing that cyclists should never underestimate is the type of shoes they wear when cycling. When I first began cycling seriously three years ago, it took me quite a while to find shoes that helped rather then hindered my efforts. You have to be careful what kind of sole you pick for cycling as too rough will reduce your flexibility on the pedals and too smooth or soft will give you no grip at all. So what are the best shoes to use?

There are many different styles and brands that you can get to assist, but the ones I have found help the most are brooks running shoes. A well recognised brand that has been going for over a hundred years, they can give a cyclist all the comfort he/she needs when out on a bike. My shoes give me great grip on the pedals whilst providing the flexibility I need when I need to move my foot position quickly. Technically the shoes I use for cycling are meant for running, but I haven’t really found that to be problem when out and about. You could wear flippers on your bike if you found they helped you cycle.

My point is, find the shoes that are right for you. Avoid clunky mountain boots or sneakers that cause you to slip all over the pedals, but if you find a pair of wellies or smart shoes helps you cycle with more confidence and control then use them! For me the best shoes just happened to be running shoes.

Similar Posts:
Yesterday’s Olympic, today’s Universal Championship : The time…
Prepare yourself against injuries : While skiing and…
Some Skiing Pointers Everyone Should Know : There are several…
Run for health & fitness : As a runner, I have worn a lot of…

ShareThis